Arizona’s rate of new COVID cases drops to lowest level of year

PHOENIX – Arizona’s seven-day average for newly reported COVID-19 cases has fallen below 4,000 for the first time this year.

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,781 cases on Thursday, the fourth consecutive day with fewer than 3,000 new infections.

Until Wednesday, the state’s seven-day case average hadn’t been below 4,000 since Dec. 30, when Arizona was first feeling the impact of the omicron variant of the virus.

The weekly case average for the omicron wave peaked at more than 20,000 on Jan. 24 and has plummeted since then.

In another milestone marking the decline of the omicron wave, the state’s hospitals had fewer than 2,000 inpatients with COVID on Wednesday for the first time since Nov. 8.

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Here’s the latest state data on the pandemic (hospital, case, death and testing statistics are based on Thursday morning’s update of the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard; seven-day averages are based on tracking by The New York Times):

COVID-19 cases

• Documented pandemic total – 1,959,866
• Daily new reports – Thursday: 2,781; One day earlier: 2,177; One week earlier: 7,379; Pandemic high: 27,681 (Jan. 22, 2022)
• Seven-day average – Wednesday: 3,635; One day earlier: 4,095; One week earlier: 6,443; Pandemic high: 20,778 (Jan. 24, 2022)

COVID-19 deaths

• Documented pandemic total – 27,398
• Daily new reports – Thursday: 209; One day earlier: 3; One week earlier: 165; Pandemic high: 335 (Jan. 12, 2021)
• Seven-day average – Wednesday: 48; One day earlier: 52; One week earlier: 70; Pandemic high: 175 (Jan. 13, 2021)

COVID-19 hospitalizations

• COVID inpatients – Wednesday: 1,915; One day earlier: 2,037; One week earlier: 2,550; Pandemic high: 5,082 (Jan. 11, 2021)
• COVID ICU patients – Wednesday: 415; One day earlier: 443; One week earlier: 518; Pandemic high: 1,183 (Jan. 11, 2021)

Statewide hospital capacity

• Inpatients beds available – Wednesday: 495 (6% of capacity); One day earlier: 514 (6%); One week earlier: 588 (7%)
• Percentage of inpatient beds with COVID patients – Wednesday: 22%; One day earlier: 23%; One week earlier: 29%
• ICU beds available – Wednesday: 136 (8% of capacity); One day earlier: 141 (9%); One week earlier: 147 (9%)
• Percentage of ICU beds with COVID patients – Wednesday: 25%; One day earlier: 27%; One week earlier: 32%

Laboratory diagnostic testing

• Weekly percent positivity – Samples taken this week: 12%; Last week: 16%; Two weeks ago: 22%; Pandemic high (for a full week): 34% (Jan. 16-22, 2022)
• Find a testing site: ADHS (statewide)

Find a vaccine site

• ADHS (statewide); Maricopa County Public Health (metro Phoenix)

Additional details

The ADHS daily case and death updates can cover multiple days of reporting because of data processing procedures and aren’t meant to represent the actual activity over the previous 24 hours. The hospitalization numbers posted each morning are reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state.

The actual caseload is likely higher than officially reported because ADHS data is based mainly on electronic laboratory reporting and doesn’t include results from home kits unless individuals report them to their health care providers.

Vaccines have proven to reduce the likelihood of a COVID infection causing serious illness or death, even with the highly contagious omicron variant. Booster shots provide additional protection and are approved for individuals who received their second Pfizer (ages 12 and up only) or Moderna doses at least five months ago or the Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago.

The minimum age for vaccination is 5 for Pfizer and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

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